PMD: And Then There Were Fewer
by nemesis1807
Summary: After receiving a mysterious invitation, Team Wanderers and other residents of Treasure Town scramble to uncover the identity of a murderer before they find themselves as the next victim. (Post explorers of time/darkness/sky.)
1. Taking The Bait

**Hello, everyone! This is Nemesis1807, if it wasn't obvious. Now, this is a sort of sequel to my story ****Sol of the Mystery Dungeon****, so if you haven't read that you won't recognize some of the characters. Other than that it should be easy to follow, since I kept references to that story's plot to a minimum. Of course, if you haven't played explorers of time/darkness/sky, you'll probably be completely lost.**

**This is a product of boredom and should not be taken seriously. Contains spoilers.**

**Check out the poll on my profile page and vote who you think the killer is.**

In the hollowed out cavity of Sharpedo Bluff, three Pokémon sat in a circle with a deck of cards. The first, an Eevee, would stare at his assembled hand, scan the cards in play, stare back at his hand, face scrunched up as he tried to plan his next move. He picked a card, moved to play, but then hastily returned it to his hand and thought some more. Than he started to lift another, put it back, thought some more, than played the first card he had been agonizing over since the start of his turn.

The second, a Charmander by the name of Jak, quickly picked a card and threw it down in a manner of seconds. She then sat back and watched the others, a look of self assurance on her face but with a hint of weariness.

The third, a Cubone by the name of Dhiren, just Ren for short, sat as still as a statue. His face betrayed no hint of what was going on in his mind, nor hinted at any emotion he may have been feeling. This could not just be attributed to a great poker face, for this was how he always looked. For a long while he did nothing but stare at his cards before choosing one, calmly and carefully placing it on the ground before him.

This cycle repeated itself several more times until the tranquility was shattered when an out of breath Riolu burst through the door and slammed it behind her. She threw her weight against the wooden door, keeping it closed, and after a few seconds someone banged on the other side.

"Come on, Sol!" came a muffled voice. "Just think about it! I reckon Team Wanderers could use another member. Golly, I'd love to join! It'd be perfect!"

The Riolu, Sol, turned to her teammates, put a finger to her lips and said "shhh".

"Well... You just think about it. I'll be back later."

Sol pressed an ear to the door and waited until she heard footsteps on the stairs to the surface. Then she spun to face the three Pokémon.

"I can't take it anymore! I can't even walk down the streets without getting chased down by a screaming horde of fans! And Bidoof is the worse! He keeps pestering me to let him join our team! Is it this bad for everyone?"

"Jak just shoots fire into the sky. If that doesn't work, Jak shoots fire into the crowd. They learn to leave this one alone," the Charmander answered, not looking up from the game as she played another card.

"Silence begets calm begets tranquility," Ren stated, considering his cards. After a while, he put one down.

"It's not that bad," Eevee said, looking over to his partner. "And it's understandable. We did save the world. Twice."

"And that gives them permission to jump me? One of them had a pair of scissors and tried to cut off a bit of my fur! How is that 'understandable'?"

"They've never tried anything like that with me... Maybe it's because of the whole, you know, 'human from the future' thing. You're a bit more famous than us."

"Ugh. I'm seriously considering shaving off my fur and painting myself up to look like a Smeargle."

"A desperate action is a regretted action."

"Thank you, Ren. I'll let you know the next time I need someone to spurt meaningless phrases at me."

"Jak had no such problems in the wild, nor did Jak have to put up with insane Pokémon. Perhaps Sol should consider leaving the civilized towns behind."

"It'll all blow over soon and everything will go back to normal. Just try and hang in there."

"Thanks for all that. Very helpful. Now, does anyone know where I can get my hands on a razor and some paint?"

Any response the Riolu may have received was cut off when a Pelipper flew in through the mouth of Sharpedo Bluff. He waddled over to Sol on webbed feet and handed her a letter.

"Message for Sol of Team Wanderers!" the courier announced.

"Do you always just barge into places like that? If you had done that while I was sleeping you would have gotten punched in the face," Sol said, taking the letter.

"She isn't joking, though you have to touch her arm or something for that to happen. Just ask Loudred."

"Ummm... Ok," the Pelipper said uncomfortably. "Oh, and before I leave, if it isn't too much trouble, could I, maybe, get your autograph?"

Sol sighed. "Fine. But it's instead of a tip."

She scribbled out her name on a slip of paper and handed it back to the bird Pokémon. He took it with glee and flew out of the bluff.

"Here," Sol said, handing the letter to Eeve and sitting down beside him. "Read it."

Eevee cracked open the wax seal and unfolded the paper. A series of footprint runes flowed across the page in neat script.

_Dear Sol, Eevee, Jak and Dhiren, members of the exploration team Wanderers._

_You are cordially invited to a gala dinner in your honor at Gladstone Manor. Everything you need will be provided for you upon arrival. Enclosed are the details on transportation to the manor. I fervently hope to see you there._

_Sincerely,_

_A Friend._

"Should we go?" Sol asked after a moment. "It sounds like a trap."

"Don't be so suspicious!" Eevee exclaimed. "It's probably just Pokémon who want to personally thank us for everything we've done! It sounds like fun!"

"Ok, but if we end up tied up back to back like last time, I get to make smart alecky remarks."

"When one is so often tricked, it does them good to rethink their lifestyle."

"See? Ren agrees that we shouldn't go. I think. Either that or he just said I'm not cut out to be an explorer."

"Come on, Sol! It'll be fun!"

"Jak is bored. If invitation is real, then Jak might have fun. If the invitation is a trap, then Jak will have even more fun burning everything down."

"Fine! You win! But just so you know, I'm going to be spending the whole trip down thinking up smart comments to make when things go south, and I'm going to be _so_ mad if they don't fit the context or no one sets me up for them."

...

Early the next morning, the team followed the information provided in the invitation which directed them to a spot just outside of town where a wooden cart awaited. A large Tauros waited for them there and seemed glad to see them. When asked he denied being the one who sent out the invitation, and also said he had no idea who had. He had just been paid to take them to Gladstone Manor, then come back the next day to return them to Treasure Town.

Eevee, Jak, Ren and Sol all climbed aboard the cart. The Tauros pulled them along the winding roads southward. Though he kept a fast pace, the trip was long and it was well past noon by the time they arrived.

Gladstone Manor was a sight to behold. It sat on a piece of land surround by steep cliffs dropping down to the ocean on three sides, a fast moving river on the fourth with a stone bridge being the only way in or out.

The manor was huge, made of a dark, reddish wood with numerous windows along its exterior walls. A turret rose up from the roof on one side, a massive conservatory on the other. Beautiful, well tended gardens ran along the perimeter of the building and a spouting fountain showing the carved forms of various water Pokémon sat in center of a circular drive.

The cart stopped in front of a set of large, ornate doors etched with intricate carvings. The four Pokémon got out and the Tauros pulled the cart away and left.

"Who do you think sent the invitation?" Eevee asked. "Whoever they are, they must be rich!"

The clip clopping sound of hooves striking the ground caused the group to turn. Shocked, they saw a train of carts arriving, pulled along by Tauros and carrying a sea of familiar faces.

Wigglytuff and Chatot sat in one cart, the latter droning on about something or other while the former ignored him completely and excitedly looked around the manor grounds. Another Carried Chimecho, Sunflora, Loudred and Corphish, all chatting amongst themselves. Magnezone, Duskull, Xatu and the Kecleon brothers Grecks and Boln came in the last cart, drinking in the scenic view.

"What's going on! It looks like almost everyone in Treasure Town was invited!" Eevee exclaimed.

"This is so going to turn out to be a trap," Sol muttered. "Just so everyone knows, I want the words 'I told you so' engraved on my tomb stone."

All of the Pokémon dismounted their carts and clustered around the main doors. All of them had received invitations claiming for their to be a dinner in their honor, but none of them had any idea who sent them. Full of speculations and theories, they entered the manor and came face to face with the last people any of them expected to see.

"Grovyle?! Celebi?!" Eevee yelled in surprise. "How... What are you doing here?! Where you the ones who sent the invitations?"

Sol could only stare at the two Pokémon, feeling as if someone had punched her in the gut. The last time she had seen those two... She thought she would never see them again, that they would have disappeared when time was restored.

"Oh dear, no!" Celebi said. "That was... someone else. We're just helping him out. Now, I know this is a little confusing, but I promise everything will be explained at dinner."

"No way! You can't just appear out of nowhere and say you'll explain it all later!" Sol protested. "I thought you were gone forever, Grovyle. And Celebi, what I did... I thought I had gotten you killed!"

"Everything will be explained," Grovyle said. "For now, just know we are both Ok. At dinner everything will be made clear. You can get ready upstairs. Pick any room you want."

With that the two Pokémon left through a set of large, heavy doors leading deeper into the manor. They slammed shut behind them, and when Sol ran forwards to try and open them she found them to be locked. She slammed a frustrated fist against them.

"They can't just do that! Can't just appear out of nowhere without an explanation then leave! Grovyle, I saw him go through the portal, and Celebi... after what I did to her, I need to apologize."

"You'll be able to later, Sol. Let's just do what they say and we'll get our answers at dinner."

"Fine. But I don't like this."

For Sol, Eevee, and just about everyone else it was an agonizing few hours. A fierce storm picked up outside with howling wind a flashes of lightning, but the Pokémon hardly noticed as speculations flew. Only Ren seemed to be unaffected, his trademark look of complete calm and indifference firmly planted on his face.

When dinner time finally came, everyone gathered in the dining room and took their seats, their names written in flowing script on little cards around the table. By reading the cards it became clear several Pokémon had been invited but had decided not to appear, including Croagunk and Chansey. Had they sensed something was off with the whole thing? Or was it simply responsibilities and unrelated events keeping them at home? Whatever the case, most of the seats were filled except for the two chairs at the top end of the table, clearly reserved for Grovyle and Celebi, and the head of table, with no labeled card to indicate who was to sit there.

Everyone sat in nervous silence, until the main doors creaked open and in walked Grovyle and Celebi. Then, behind them, was another figure the assembled Pokémon never expected to see again.

"Dusknoir?!" Sol exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "You bastard! What are you planning?!"

"Sol, calm down," Grovyle said. "This isn't what you think."

"This Pokémon fooled us into trusting us, tried to end the world, and now has lured us all here, and you wants us to stay CALM!" Loudred yelled.

"IT'S A TRAP!" Wigglytuff screamed.

"Please, please! Hear me out!" Dusknoir pleaded. "Please, events have happened that you are not aware of."

"Listen, everyone," Grovyle said. "When I was sent back to the future with Dusknoir after going through the Hidden Land, Dusknoir helped Celebi and I delay Primal Dialga long enough for Eevee and Sol to repair Temporal Tower! He fought with us to buy you time!"

"And we're, like, supposed to believe that?" was Sunflora's reply. "Eek! He tried to end the world! And we can't forget he, like, dragged Team Wanderers to the future!"

"If we can trust him, why can't you?" Celebi said. "Can't you at least give him a chance?"

"I have wronged each and every one of you," Dusknoir said. "Some more than others, and I'm not just talking about with the Time Gears. Each of you have your own reasons not to trust me, but I only ask that you hear me out. Now, please, I'm going to go check on dinner and give you some time to talk things over with each other. I hope you all decide to stay."

"I'll come with you," Celebi said and left the room with Dusknoir.

"No one really BELIEVES him, do they?" Loudred asks.

"Golly, it really is hard to say..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Trusting him is asking for a knife in the back!"

"I think we should all give him a chance!" Wigglytuff announced. "If we all trust each other, then we can all be friends!"

"The Guildmaster is right!" Chimecho said. She got up from her chair, went over to Dusknoir's at the head of the table and stood on top of it so all could see her clearly. "All he is asking is for us to hear him out! We can at least give him a chance! Think of all the good he has done in the past when we still knew him as the Great Dusknoir, all the Pokémon he saved! There was a reason we all looked up to him! If, in the end, we decide we don't believe him, we can leave. There is no harm in just listening to him!"

Chimecho's speech seemed to convince some Pokémon to stay, at least long enough to hear what Dusknoir had to say. Others weren't as sure, going over it in their minds and talking it over with their neighbors.

And then a voice, deep, distorted, and frightening, filled the room, drowning out all the other Pokémon.

"NONE WHO CROSS ME SHALL EVER FIND PEACE! I WILL ALWAYS GET MY REVENGE!"

There was a sound like shattering glass, a snap, then the chandelier over Dusknoir's chair fell with a crash, right on top of Chimecho.

**Remember to check out the poll on my profile page! Who is the killer?**


	2. A Ghost's Demise

For a moment after the crash all was silent, the many guests too stunned to react. Then with a voice filled with pain and loss, Sunflora jumped from her chair, knocking it over, screamed Chimecho's name and ran to her fallen friend.

Sunflora struggled to move the heavy mass of twisted metal off Chimecho's prone form. Her actions helped shake the others from their stupor and Loudred and Sol ran over to help. The three of them were able to pick up the chandelier, the once beautiful decoration now an instrument of misery.

"Chimecho!" Sunflora cried.

The small, white Pokémon lay motionless and unresponsive amid the shattered remains of the chair. A quick check revealed the Chimecho was irrevocably dead.

"Dusknoir KILLED Chimecho!" Loudred yelled.

Sol glanced over to Grovyle to see how the Pokémon would react to discovering that their nemesis had indeed not changed. If anything, he had gotten worse. Grovyle seemed stunned, his expression frozen in a state of disbelief.

"ZZZT. I will aprehend the criminal. ZZZT." Magnezone said.

"Screw that! I don't want to die! Let's get outta here!"

In a panicked stampede all the Pokémon dashed for the exit. The sky flashed with lightning and boomed with thunder as heavy rain pelted down. Heedless of the weather, they all ran for the bridge, the Kecleon Boln leading the pack.

Suddenly, their was an intense flash of lightning, arking down directly in front of them. The bolt struck a tree with a crack, the leaves bursting into flames before being put out almost instantly by the falling rain. With a sharp snap the tree toppled over, slowly then picking up speed. It crashed against the stone bridge, the construct crumbling under the weight of the dense, heavy wood trunk.

Boln screeched and scrambled back, fighting against the momentum driving him forwards. He stopped just short of the edge and looked down at the raging river below. There was a moment of shock as all the Pokémon could only stare at the destroyed bridge.

"We're trapped!" Bidoof exclaimed.

"We're DOOOOOOOOOMED!" Duskull cried.

"Everyone, please, try to remain calm," Chatot said. "Let's get back inside and figure out what to do next."

They clustered in the foyer, scared, cold and soaken. No one knew what to do, and those not supplying impossible plans remained in fearful silence. Except for Sol, who stood darkly in the corner with her arms crossed while she muttered 'I told you so' s under her breath.

Then Celebi burst into the room.

"Oh dear, what happened? I didn't see anyone in their chairs when I got back, and thought that maybe you all decided to leave..."

"Hey, hey! We would have if the bridge hadn't been destroyed! Now we're stuck here with that lunatic!"

"Please! Can't you give him a chance-"

"A chance to kill us all?! Chimecho's already dead!"

"What?! But... Dusknoir wouldn't do that!"

"ZZZT. Her body is still in the dining room, the scene of the crime. ZZZT."

"You didn't see it when you were there?"

"I left when I didn't see anyone in their chairs! I can't believe this. Grovyle?"

"I... Something happened. I don't know what to think. It may not have been Dusknoir..."

"When one hears hoofbeats in a Ponyta's home, do not think Stantler."

"Yeah, what he said! I think. Was he saying go with the obvious, less complicated answer? See, Ren, this is why you have to learn how to speak plainly!"

They went back to the dining room and Celebi gasped and covered her mouth at the sight of Chimecho.

"Why... There is no reason why he would do this!" she cried.

"He's insane! He doesn't need any other reason than that!"

"How do we know it wasn't an accident?"

"Unless the accident just happened to coincide with the creepy voice, I think not."

"What's going on in here?"

They all jumped at the sound of Dusknoir's voice in the doorway.

"Murderer!" Sunflora screamed.

"ZZZT. You are under arrest! ZZZT."

"Dusknoir, please tell me it wasn't you," Grovyle pleaded.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I-" he stopped upon seeing the body. "What happened!"

"What happened is that you showed your true colours!"

"You think I did this? I invited you all here to make amends!"

"And we're supposed to believe you?!"

"Please, please! Everyone just calm down! At least let him try to explain himself!"

"And give him time to finish the job and kill us?!"

There was a flash of lightning outside, intense enough for Eevee's attention to be drawn to the large window set in the wall. The heavy rain and darkness made it difficult to see what was out there, but Eevee made out a shape hurtling towards the window.

"Everyone! Look out!" Eevee cried.

A large, thick tree branch, carried by the fierce wind flew through the window in a shower of broken glass. Screams could be heard as the wind blew out the candles around the room, plunging the world in darkness. There was the sound of scuffling feet, a yelp, the sound of something hitting the floor.

The sudden light from Jak's summoned flames hurt Corphish's eyes. He blinked, becoming accustomed to the light, and gasped.

"He's dead!" Corphish yelled.

Dusknoir lay on the floor, the handle of a steak knife protruding from his back.

"Oh my dear!" Celebi screamed, then promptly fainted. Grovyle caught her before she hit the floor.

"He... He wasn't the killer?"

"Eek! We're, like, all going to die!" Sunflora raved. "We're all going to die and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"Get ahold of yourself!" Loudred said, shaking her.

"Stop doing that!" Grecks said, pushing Loudred away.

Loudred stumbled back and lost his balance. He grabbed onto a set of curtains to steady himself, but instead ended up tearing them down.

"Look!" Eevee said, pointing the now revealed wall. "What is that?"

They crowded in close. It looked like the chandeleir winch had been hidden behind the curtain, but the rope was cut, which had caused it to fall. Something was connected to the rope, however, some sort of small contraption made up of a timer and a guillotine like blade that must have been what had severed the rope. Small pieces of greenish glass littered the ground.

Eevee's eyes followed the path from the winch to where the chandeleir had hung. Directly over the chair Dusknoir was to be sitting in.

"Chimecho... she wasn't the target," Eevee said.

"I recognize this," Grecks said, gesturing to the glass shards. "They're left over from a variation of the decoy orb. They... remember sounds, and can be set to repeat them at a certain time. They're very slow to dissolve, hence the shards. Those will turn to dust in about an hour."

"So... Someone wanted to kill Dusknoir, but Chimecho got in the way. Then, when the candles were blown out, they took the opportunity to finish the job."

"Golly, we all had reasons to hate Dusknoir," Bidoof said. "How are we supposed to know who did it?"

"Hey, hey! Someone hated him enough to do something about it. Didn't he say we all had reasons beyond just the what happened with the Time Gears?"

"ZZZT. Perhaps if we search around we will find more clues. ZZZT."

"Precisely what I was thinking," Chatot declared.

The guild's second in command led the way out of the dining room and into the hallway. From what Eevee saw, he didn't think Chatot had any idea where he was going and instead had just picked a direction at random.

Wigglytuff picked up his pace until he was at the front of the group but still behind Chatot. Quietly, he closed the distance until their was barely any distance between them...

"BOOOO!" the Guildmaster yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

"Squawk!"

Startled and frightened, Chatot started flapping his wings, jumped to the side and ran right into a bookcase. The shelves trembled and all the books toppled over and fell out, except for that remained standing perfectly straight by itself in the center of its shelf, not disturbed in the slightest.

"What the..."

Xatu stepped forwards and pulled on the book, revealed not to be a book at all but a lever of sorts. The top tilted forwards whilel the bottom stayed in place. There was a click and the book shelf began to creak outwards.


	3. Merchant's Motive

**Laurel: Just because it's your birthday tomorrow and you're my first reviewer, here's the next chapter earlier than I had planned. Happy Birthday!**

The bookshelf slowly swung outwards and everyone backed up a little, but not far enough so that they couldn't see what was inside. With a final creak a small passage way was revealed...

That led to the messiest room in existance.

It looked like the dresser and closet had exploded at some point to scatter their contents on the floor and drape them over everything. The bedding was clumped in one big ball at one side of the bed while the pillows were hanging over the edge while somehow not falling off. Cans of Diet Pepsi Lime covered the bedside table and the desk where one unknown human was typing away on a laptop.

The assembled Pokémon stared at the human. For a few moments she obliviously continued to press the buttons on her keyboard. Then, she slowly turned her head to look over at them with an annoyed scowl.

"This never happened," the human stated and slammed the bookcase shut.

"What was that-"

"Didn't you hear her, Sol? It NEVER happened!" Loudred said.

"Some things are better left unknown," Xatu agreed.

"Ok, if we're planning on completely ignoring the human in the walls might as well do it all the way. I don't think running around the mansion haphazardly is going to solve anything."

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna be in charge!" Wigglytuff said.

"Zzzt. This is a criminal investigation. I don't think it should be you making decisions. Zzzt."

"Not even if I put on this old timey detective fedora and smoke from this pipe?"

Seeminly from nowhere Wigglytuff pulled out the hat and pipe. He put the pipe to his mouth and a stream of bubbles appeared from the end.

"Do you just carry those around everywhere and hope something like this will happen?"

"Yep!"

"Wouldn't it be better if we stopped arguing over who's leader and think about what's happened?" Eevee reasoned. "Who here had a motive to kill Dusknoir?"

"Hey, hey! We all had motive, but who really hated him enough to kill? And not only that, hated him enough to keep on trying even their first plan failed and killed someone else."

"If we're talking about extreme hate," Chatot began. "We all know Sol suffered the most at his hands."

"Are you saying I did this?! What about Duskull? I heard you talking about how much you hated Dusknoir right before dinner!"

"It's true," he sighed. "He refused to let me hold on to his money! All that wealth and I wasn't allowed so much as to look at it... Oh, money..."

A look of bliss entered Duskull's eye as he thought about money, and then he slowly flipped around to float upside down in the air, muttering happily about 'shiny coins'.

"Wigglytuff, I'd reckon you like just about everybody," Bidoof said. "Golly, I can't imagine what Dusknoir did to make you hate him."

"HE DENIED MY FRIEND REQUEST ON FACEBOOK!" Wigglytuff cried, bursting into tears.

"What's a face book?" Eevee whispered to Sol.

"Don't know. Just nod sympathetically."

"What about you, Chatot?" Grovyle asked. "You were quick to shine the blame on Sol. What's your motive?"

"Well... umm..."

"Spit it OUT already!" Loudred said.

"I may have been... borrowing... some of the guild's funds... and Dusknoir may have learned about it... and he may have also blackmailed me about it... so I may have had to pay him off..."

"That seems like quite the motive."

"Wait! Hold on," Eevee said. "Throwing around blame isn't going to get us anywhere, except maybe make us all hate each other. Why don't we have a look around, see what we can dig up."

"I, like, totally agree," Sunflora said. "Where should we start?"

"Well, Dusknoir did have an office upstairs," Grovyle said.

"Hey, hey! Good of place as any to start."

Grovyle led them through the mansion and up a flight of stairs. The light was dim on the second floor and shadows ruled the hallways, lending an eerie feeling to an already horrifying night.

Grovyle pushed open a carved, wooden door. A thick carpet covered the floor of the room and various bookshelves lined the walls. In the center of the room was a neat and orderly desk, papers stacked on one side with pencils and quills arranged in a cup on the other.

The various Pokémon spread out around the room, looking for clues.

"Hey, look! Dusknoir reads romance novels! What's a Miltank milk sandwich? Oh, nevermind."

"Hey, hey! Another secret room! No, wait, just a laundry room. Laundry room everybody!"

"That's better than the one I just found. It's filled with posters of cats slipping off various things saying 'hang in there'."

"Whoa, this guy had problems."

"Golly, everyone look what I've found," Bidoof said, rummaging through a large chest at the back of the room. "I reckon this oughta be important."

The Pokémon crowded around Bidoof and the chest, which was filled with various items from orbs to scarfs to TMs.

"Whoa, that's a lot of stuff. Where did he get it all?"

"All of this would have required quite a bit of money," Duskull said.

"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them."

"Ren, what have I told you about talking? Do it right or shut up."

"Kecleons, you're the only mechants in the area. Do you know where he got all this?"

"Well, umm..." Boln began.

"Hold on, didn't Dusknoir do some sort of promotion for you two?"

"Yes, if I recall, Dusknoir did promote your business," Chatot said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the two brothers. "You did very well after that, and you gave him free merchandise in exchange. I also remember your business suffered horribly after the truth about him came out, no one wanting to buy from a shop associated with such a villainous Pokémon."

"So?" Greacks said. "We've recovered since then and have no reason to want to kill him!"

"You've recovered because Dusknoir was gone, presumed to have disappeared from existance when Temporal Tower was restored. But if he were to come back, a walking reminder of of it all, surely many would have avoided buying from you."

"Zzzt. So you acted, got rid of Dusknoir before he could ruin your business again," Magnezone added. "Zzzt. And revenge was just an added bonus. Zzzt. Seems like a likely motive to me. Zzzt."

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Grecks cried.

"Hey, hey! Not to mention you'd have all the know how on how to set up that contraption in the dining room. You two were the only two here who had even heard of that orb that was used!"

"MURDERER!" Loudred yelled and grabbed onto Greck's arm.

"Let me go!"

Sunflora made a dive for Boln, who jumped back out of the way. The Kecleon pulled out an orb and threw it to the ground. The Luminous Orb shattered, releasing a bright flash of light that blinded everyone in the room. By the time it faded, Boln was gone.

"This is ridiculous!" Grecks cried, Loudred still gripping his arm. "We never would have done something like this!"

"If you're so innocent, why did he run?" Sol asked.

"Perhaps because he was afraid what a room filled with scared, irrational people would do to him!"

"So we, like, know who the killer is now, right? That's, like, totally a good thing, right?" Sunflora asked.

"A wolf will fight back all the harder when it is backed into a corner."

"Ren is correct," Jak said. "We must be even more careful now. A Pokémon with nothing to lose is always the most dangerous."

"That doesn't sound good..."

"So maybe we should search and catch him before he tries anything," Eevee said.

"That's a good idea. Let's break down into teams and search. Magnezone, Bidoof and Xatu, you take Grecks downstairs to where we left Celebi. We'll all meet back there when we find something."

** We are now halfway through the story with only three chapters left. Be sure to vote on who you think the killer is on my profile page!**


	4. Messenger's Hazard

**Hello people! Next chapter's here, if it wasn't obvious. Please review with who you think the killer is, and answer the poll on my profile page!**

"Loudred, I really don't think this is a good idea..." Sunflora said.

"It's a GREAT idea! Kecleons can blend into their surroundings, so Boln will be hard to spot."

"So you, like, decided to turn the whole hallway into a death trap?"

"Yep! I mean no! It's not a death trap! Just a regular trap."

"People are the only creatures that set their own traps, bait it, then step in it themselves."

"Ren, please stop talking."

Loudred put the finishing touches on his masterpiece then took a step back, admiring his work. Sunflora was meanwhile uneasy with his plan and had a bad feeling about it. Ren being Ren, he just stood back calmly and watched it all unfold, completely tranquil despite how the night was progressing.

Usually Ren would have grouped up with Eevee, Sol and Jak, but in light of the Colour Ability all Kecleon had, everyone had decided it would be best to mix up

Pokémon types as much as possible in the teams sent to track Boln done.

"Now we just sit back and wait," Loudred announced.

"Shouldn't we, like, at least tell the others where it is and to be careful..." Sunflora began.

"It'll be fine! Now come on, we have to hide!"

Loudred grabbed a hold of his two teammates and dragged them into a nearby room. He pressed an ear against the closed door, a look of glee and excitement on his face. Sunflora sighed and rolled her eyes.

Several minutes passed without incident, and Sunflora began to get impatient.

"This is, like, a waste of time! We need to get out there and actually look, not wait around hoping he comes!"

"Wait! I hear someone coming!"

"How do we know it's Boln and not, like, one of the others? We need to make sure that they don't stumble on the trap by accident!"

"It's gotta be Boln! We were the only ones sent to search this floor!"

"What are you talking about? Everyone just ran to do their own things! No one sent us anywhere, and the only reason we haven't left this floor is because you didn't want to walk up the stairs!"

"...Oh... Maybe we should-"

There was a crash outside the room, the sound of splashing, shouting, the distinct sound of Jak yelling "BURN!" followed by another crash.

The three threw the door open and ran into the hall. They were greeted with the sight of a very angry Jak covered in gravy with the burnt remains of a rope at her fight. Corphish stood several feet behind her, caught between being horrified and fighting back laughter.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" Jak snarled, wiping the thick, brown liquid off her head.

"Well..." Loudred began, looking uncomfortable. "We were setting up a trap-"

"What do you, like, mean, 'we'? This was all you!"

"-so I set up a trip wire and some rope to catch anyone who walked by..."

"Hey! Hey! What's with the gravy?"

"Well, Boln can blend in with stuff, so I needed a way to make sure he couldn't just disappear... We were just about to have dinner before all of this happened, so it was all I could get my hands on..."

Jak stood completely still, glaring at Loudred with narrowed eyes. Then she howled with rage and proceeded to chase Loudred through the manor, screaming such things as "BURN!" and "Jak will kill you herself!".

Sunflora ran after them, hoping everyone else was having better luck than them.

...

A ghost roamed the halls of Gladstone manor. A very scared ghost. A very scared ghost on the verge of having a panic attack. This ghost went by the name of Duskull, and all he could think was how he was a banker, not a detective, and he was not cut out for hunting down murderers.

He wasn't alone, of course. Grovyle and Chatot were with him, and they were holding themselves together better than Duskull was.

Grovyle was trying to keep himself calm. Outwardly he was doing great, but inside it was turmoil. This was supposed to be a time for forgiveness and fresh starts, not for fear and murder! Boln and Grecks would pay for what they had done.

Chatot was in 'take charge now and make sure no one forgets how brave you were when things got bad' mode. He marched ahead, head held high as he scanned every room they passed.

They were heading deeper down into the manor, into the basement levels. These were just as well maintained as the upper floors, if just slightly less decorated.

"How did Dusknoir afford a place like this?" Duskull asked, running the numbers through his head. The explorer must have been even wealthier than Duskull had ever imagined!

"He didn't. Celebi did," Grovyle replied.

"How could she have possibly amassed the funds to buy such a place?"

"When you can time travel, it's easy to make sure all your investments pay off. After living in a world of darkness, she thought that she deserved some extravagance."

"I see," Duskull said, wishing that he had such power. Think of all the money that could be made! Ahh, money...

They continued on until the hall abruptly ended, not just with a wall but a giant, stone door, though unlike any Duskull had ever seen before.

Odd swirling patterns covered its surface. A large circle was positioned at its center, the circle divided into three separate rings with a smaller circle in the middle. On each ring was a picture of different Pokémon, and the center circle bore the impression of a footprint with small holes at the end of the toes.

"What is that?" Chatot asked as Duskull went closer to examine it.

"I have no idea, but I doubt that Boln could have gotten in there. Perhaps we should go back to-"

A grinding noise cut Grovyle off. Duskull jumped back as the door shuddered open, releasing a cloud of dust and revealing a deceptively large cavern within.

"Where'd you get that?" Chatot asked pointing to the opal Charizard claw in Duskull's hands, used to unlock the stone door.

"Well... I may have saw it laying around... and it was shiny... Ooh! Gold!"

Duskull ran into the room, lured in by the piles of glittering coin. The door slammed shut behind him, separating him from the others.

...

Eevee wasn't sure how the different teams were picked. However it happened, he didn't think it was a good idea to put Wigglytuff and Sol together. Alone, Eevee was certain he would have been able to keep Sol focused on the task at hand. Chatot probably would have been able to curb Wigglytuff's wilder impulses. In a group of just Eevee, Sol and Wigglytuff, though, things quickly got out of hand and the search for Boln was soon forgotten.

"Oh, sweet! Look at this!"

Sol ran over to two suits of decorative armor flanking a set of large, oak doors. It was like two knights had stepped out of an ancient legend to stand as silent sentinels in the winding halls of Gladstone Manor, tall lances and shields gripped in their hands.

"Eevee! Come on, joust with me!" Sol said, pulling a helmet off the stand and putting it on her own head.

"Sol, I don't think this is a good idea. Shouldn't we be looking for Boln?"

"You're no fun. Wigglytuff, joust with me."

"Yay!" the Guildmaster cheered. He ran over and pulled down a shield.

Soon the two of them were all armored up, Sol with a helmet, boots and gauntlets, Wigglytuff with a too large breastplate. They stood on opposite ends of the hallway wielding lances and carrying shields.

"We really shouldn't be doing this," Eevee said. "This looks dangerous..."

"Spoil sport!" Wigglytuff cried.

"Eevee, this is probably the only chance I will ever have to be a knight about to try and impale someone for fun. Don't ruin it for me."

Eevee did not like this at all. When had Sol become so impulsive? Sure, she had always been immature, but it had never been like this. Was the strain of the situation getting to her?

Sol and Wigglytuff charged at each other, lances poised to strike. Sol's heavy boots clunked against the wooden floor, Wigglytuff's breastplate clinking and clanging. They collided in the center of the room. Wigglytuff's lance was deflected off Sol's shield, jarring her arm. Sol's lance bypassed Wigglytuff's shield and instead broke in a shower of splinters against his breastplate.

Wigglytuff fell backwards to the floor from the force of the blow. Sol's momentum drove her forwards and she tripped over the Guildmaster. Her armored foot stomped on Wigglytuff's arm as she flew forwards, and her helmet slammed against the floor. The two of them groaned in pain, a tangled heap on the floor.

Eevee sighed, shaking his head. He would have been more concerned if Sol didn't get seriously inured every other week. Eevee was just too acclimatized to such things by then.

...

Magnezone was an officer of the law. It was his job and his duty to keep dangerous Pokémon away from the populace. But when had been the last time he had apprehended a vicious murderer himself? That had always been left to exploration teams. Magnezone's job had always come after they had been subdued. What would he do if he was faced with Boln?

He was glad he was assigned to watch over Grecks with Xatu and Bidoof instead of part of a search party. But that didn't mean everything was going smoothly. They had arrived on the ground floor to discover Celebi was gone from where they had left her. Xatu had theorized that she had woken up and wandered off, confused of what had happened. Grecks had been quick to point out that perhaps she was actually the killer and it had all been an act to take suspicion off of her.

Bidoof had left to look around the neighboring few rooms to see if he could find her. Magnezone had cautioned not to go far. Boln was still out there. He wasn't sure if Bidoof had taken his advice, because he had been gone for a long time.

Corphish, Sunflora, Ren, Loudred and Jak were the first to return after an unsuccessful hunt. Magnezone didn't ask why Jak was covered in gravy or why Loudred's large ears were singed. From the glares the Charmander shot at Loudred as she tore down one of the curtains to wipe herself off, Magnezone could figure out the gist of what had happened.

Bidoof finally returned some time after, Celebi still missing but now he was accompanied by Chatot and Grovyle. They were all worked up, saying how Duskull had been trapped inside a large vault of some kind and that they had to get him out.

In a calm, even tone Xatu had said that Duskull probably wasn't in any immediate danger, and that they should wait for the las team to arrive before they all ran off. What would they think if they got here and no one else was to be seen?

So they waited, but it wasn't long before Eevee, Sol and Wigglytuff returned. The Riolu and the Guildmaster were bruised and beaten, causing the assembled Pokémon to rush to their aid. Had they run into Boln?

As it happened, no, they hadn't gotten into a fight with the assumed killer. They had just been acting like children even though two murderers had just a few scant hours before. Really, Magnezone expected such things from the eccentric Guildmaster, but Sol? Since when had she been so insensitive, especially since her friend Chimecho had been one of the victims. Instead of being sorrowful and in mourning, she was off playing dress up?

But they had bigger problems than Sol's inappropriate behaviour. Duskull was still trapped in the vault, and they all prepared to go rescue him.

Until he strolled through the door into the room, completely unharmed.

"Duskull, you're ok!" Chatot exclaimed. "We were just about to find a way to free you! How did you escape? And where did you get that mask?"

The ghost Pokémon wore a golden metal mask, vaguely human shaped and carved with odd patterns and attached to a thick hood that held it in place on Duskull's head.

"A creature unlike any I have ever seen rose up to stop me as I approached the riches held in the vault," he explained. "It learned never to get between me and gold. I took this from the creature because it seemed valuable. Also, it looks really cool."

"It looks like a squinting old man eating something really sour," Wigglytuff said.

"Then I found a secret passage in the vault," Duskull continued, ignoring the comment. "That led to a tunnel hidden behind a painting near the front door."

"That's convenient. So you didn't have to take the long way back. Wouldn't it be great if everything was like that?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Grovyle said. "None of us have found any sign of Boln. What are we supposed to do now?"

"Hey, hey! What we really need to do is find a way send word back to Treasure Town about what's going on here."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"Hey, hey! I suppose if I could find a way down the cliff to the sea, I could walk along beneath the waves until I find a spot to come back up on land, then run to the town. It'll be rough, but I can't think of another way out of here."

"And I suppose I could try flying back..." Chatot said hesitantly.

"I don't believe that would be a good idea," Grovyle said. "With the storm, the fierce winds would make it a dangerous flight."

"I must try. Time is essential, and the longer before help arrives the more dire the situation becomes. I could get there faster than Corphish, and if I fail, there is still the chance he would succeed. We cannot put all our eggs in one basket, as it were."

"If you're sure..."

"Golly, I don't think either of you should go," Bidoof said, looking concerned. "I reckon we shouldn't be let anyone go off alone, and the trip sounds mighty dangerous. Besides, with a big group like this, I don't think Boln will try anything."

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm willing to risk it. I'm going to see if I can find a way down to the water."

"And I'll see if I can find a way up to the roof, or at least a balcony I can take off from."

"All right then... Good luck."

The two Pokémon left. Those remaining glanced around nervously, unsure of what to do in the meantime. And that's when Sol turned to Grovyle.

"So, care to explain why the Hell you haven't been erased from existance? And maybe why you waited so long to tell us you're alive?"

"A lot has happened, and I've been otherwise occupied."

"Otherwise occupied? Are you even aware of how long it's been since Temporal Tower? Has it ever crossed your mind to maybe send word that you're all right? Maybe that Celebi hadn't been captured and killed by Dusknoir, an event that I blamed myself for and made me feel like the most horrible person alive? Maybe that Dusknoir was no longer the major nemesis I thought him to be? And it would have been nice had you showed up to help when an ancient, legendary Pokémon tried to destroy me and my team! But no, you've been 'busy', so that makes it all ok? Like Hell it does!"

"Sol, calm down," Grovyle said.

"No! I want a real answer! Not some bullshit excuse!"

"You always did have a temper..."

"Stop doing that, too! You are not allowed to reminese about old times I no longer remember, than look at me like a child having a tantrum!"

"Sol, this isn't his fault," Duskull said. "You can't take out your frustrations on him."

"Like, hold on!" Sunflora interjected. "Regardless of the situation, these points are still totally valid! He needs to apoligize!"

"No, Sol needs to back off!" Loudred exclaimed.

"ZZT! Grovyle owes us all an explanation. ZZT!"

"This one believes the Grovyle owes us nothing."

"I was a knight!" Wigglytuff yelled.

The situation fell apart. Everyone was screaming at each other, either taking Sol's side or Grovyle's. It was complete chaos that dragged on for several minutes before the sound of breaking glass silenced them.

"What was THAT?!" Loudred exclaimed.

"It came from the conservatory!"

The group ran to investigate the noise. They all gasped in horror at what they found. In a growing puddle of blood rested the lifeless body of Chatot, his neck twisted unnaturally from the fall and surrounded by shards of shattered glass from where he crashed through the ceiling.

"This... this could have been an accident..." Sunflora began.

"ZZZT! But where did that rock come from? ZZZT!"

The stone in question lay some distance away, out of place and flecked with spots of blood.

"You think the killer got to him? To stop him from getting help? But then... Corphish!"

They ran from the conservatory into the pouring rain outside. They ran through the sodden grass and patches of mud to stop at the cliff's edge. The night was dark and it was nearly impossible to make out any details. Then there was a flask of lightning and the world was briefly illuminated, giving them enough time to see the red of Corphish's body were it lay broken on the rocks below.


End file.
